Soybean cultivar CX295

ABSTRACT

The instant invention relates to the novel soybean cultivar designated CX295. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean cultivar CX295. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean cultivar CX295 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean cultivar CX295 with itself or another soybean variety, as well as the plants produced by such methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of soybeanbreeding. In particular, the invention relates to the novel soybeancultivar CX295.

2. Description of Related Art

There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirableplant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definitionof problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishmentof program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives.The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meetthe program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety animproved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm.These important traits may include higher seed yield, resistance todiseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought andheat, better agronomic quality, resistance to herbicides, andimprovements in compositional traits.

Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plantreproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and thetype of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid cultivar, purelinecultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superiorindividual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective,whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based onmean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of relatedplants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection,modified pedigree selection, mass selection, recurrent selection andbackcrossing.

The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method.Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes fora highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach hasbeen used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars (Bowerset al., 1992; Nickell and Bernard, 1992). Various recurrent selectiontechniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traitscontrolled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection inself-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequencyof successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybridoffspring from each successful cross.

Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation ofthe efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria varydepending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain fromselection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard,overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successfulcultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollarexpended, etc.).

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared toappropriate standards in environments representative of the commercialtarget area(s) for generally three or more years. The best lines arecandidates for new commercial cultivars. Those still deficient in a fewtraits may be used as parents to produce new populations for furtherselection.

These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing anddistribution, may take as much as eight to 12 years from the time thefirst cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is atime-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficientuse of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.

A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that aregenetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic valueis masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors.One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performancerelative to other experimental plants and to one or more widely grownstandard cultivars. Single observations are generally inconclusive,while replicated observations provide a better estimate of geneticworth.

The goal of plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superiorsoybean cultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crossestwo or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection,producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoreticallygenerate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing,selfing and mutations. The breeder has no direct control at the cellularlevel. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line de novo,or even very similar lines, having the same soybean traits.

Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to thenext generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and differentgeographical, climatic and soil conditions, and further selections arethen made, during and at the end of the growing season. The cultivarswhich are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is becausethe breeder's selection occurs in unique environments, with no controlat the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and withmillions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. Abreeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resultinglines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion.The same breeder cannot produce the same cultivar twice by using theexact same original parents and the same selection techniques. Thisunpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of researchmonies to develop superior new soybean cultivars.

The development of new soybean cultivars requires the development andselection of soybean varieties, the crossing of these varieties andselection of progeny from the superior hybrid crosses. The hybrid seedis produced by manual crosses between selected male-fertile parents orby using male sterility systems. These hybrids are selected for certainsingle gene traits such as pod color, flower color, pubescence color orherbicide resistance which indicate that the seed is truly a hybrid.Additional data on parental lines as well as the phenotype of the hybridinfluence the breeder's decision whether to continue with the specifichybrid cross.

Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used todevelop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combinedesirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed byselfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars areevaluated to determine which have commercial potential.

Pedigree breeding is commonly used for the improvement ofself-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable,complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁. An F₂ population isproduced by selfing one or several F₁ 's. Selection of the bestindividuals may begin in the F₂ population (or later depending upon thebreeders objectives); then, beginning in the F₃, the best individuals inthe best families can be selected. Replicated testing of families canbegin in the F₄ generation to improve the effectiveness of selection fortraits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e.,F₆ and F₇), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar linesare tested for potential release as new cultivars.

Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations ofeither self-or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variablepopulation of heterozygous individuals is either identified or createdby intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selectedbased on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellentcombining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a newpopulation in which further cycles of selection are continued.

Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simplyinherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivarwhich is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferredis called the donor or nonreccurent parent. The resulting plant isexpected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar)and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After theinitial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parentare selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrentparent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of therecurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferredfrom the donor parent.

The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to plantinga segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, andusing the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When thepopulation has been advanced from the F₂ to the desired level ofinbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace todifferent F2 individuals. The number of plants in a population declineseach generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plantsto produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F₂ plantsoriginally sampled in the population will be represented by a progenywhen generation advance is completed.

In a multiple-seed procedure, soybean breeders commonly harvest one ormore pods from each plant in a population and thresh them together toform a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation andpart is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modifiedsingle-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique.

The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. Itis considerably faster to thresh pods with a machine than to remove oneseed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seedprocedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of apopulation each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested tomake up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.

Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used fordifferent traits and crops can be found in one of several referencebooks (e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr,1987a,b).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level ofsuperiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition toshowing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivarthat is compatible with industry standards or which creates a newmarket. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional coststo the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer; for specialadvertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial productionpractices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release ofa new cultivar should take into consideration research and developmentcosts as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. Forseed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easilyand economically.

Soybean, Glycine max (L), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus,a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yieldingsoybean cultivars that are agronomically sound. The reasons for thisgoal are to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used andto supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, thesoybean breeder must select and develop soybean plants that have thetraits that result in superior cultivars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention relates to soybean seed designatedCX295. The invention also relates to plants produced by growing the seedof the soybean cultivar designated CX295, as well as the derivatives ofsuch plants. As used herein, the term "plant" includes plant cells,plant protoplasts, plant cells of a tissue culture from which soybeanplants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cellsthat are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers,seeds, pods, leaves, stems, and the like.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a tissue culture ofregenerable cells of the soybean cultivar CX295, as well as plantsregenerated therefrom, wherein the regenerated soybean plant is capableof expressing all the physiological and morphological characteristics ofa plant grown from the soybean seed designated CX295.

Yet another aspect of the current invention is a soybean plantcomprising a gene conversion of the soybean cultivar CX295, wherein thesoybean plant is otherwise capable of expressing all the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of the soybean cultivar CX295. Inparticular embodiments of the invention, the gene conversion maycomprise a transgenic gene. In still other embodiments of the invention,the gene conversion may comprise a dominant or recessive allele. Thegene conversion may confer potentially any trait upon the convertedplant, including herbicide resistance, insect resistance, resistance tobacterial, fungal, or viral disease, male fertility or sterility, andimproved nutritional quality.

Still yet another aspect of the invention relates to a first generation(F₁) hybrid soybean seed produced by crossing a plant of the soybeancultivar CX295 to a second soybean plant. Also included in the inventionare the F₁ hybrid soybean plants grown from the hybrid seed produced bycrossing the soybean cultivar CX295 to a second soybean plant. Stillfurther included in the invention are the seeds of an F₁ hybrid plantproduced with the soybean cultivar CX295 as one parent, the secondgeneration (F₂) hybrid soybean plant grown from the seed of the F₁hybrid plant, and the seeds of the F₂ hybrid plant.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producingsoybean seeds comprising crossing a plant of the soybean cultivar CX295to any second soybean plant, including another CX295 plant. Inparticular embodiments of the invention, the method comprises the stepsof a) planting seeds of the soybean cultivar CX295; b) cultivatingsoybean plants resulting from said seeds until said plants bear flowers;c) allowing fertilization of the flowers of said plants; and, d)harvesting seeds produced from said plants.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producinghybrid soybean seeds. In particular embodiments of the invention, themethod comprises the steps of a) planting in pollinating proximity seedsof soybean cultivar CX295 and a second, nonisogenic soybean cultivar, b)cultivating the soybean plants grown from said seeds until said plantsbear flowers; c) emasculating the male flowers of either the plantsgrown from the seeds of the soybean cultivar CX295 or the second soybeancultivar; d) allowing cross pollination to occur between said soybeancultivars; and e) harvesting seeds produced on said emasculated plants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention provides the plants, seeds and derivatives of thesoybean cultivar CX295, as well as methods for making the same. Alsoprovided by the current invention are single and multiple geneconversions of the soybean cultivar CX295. The terms single gene ormultiple gene converted plant, as used herein, refer to those soybeanplants which are developed by the plant breeding technique ofbackcrossing. Through backcrossing, essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety may berecovered in addition to the gene or genes transferred into the varietyvia the backcrossing technique. Backcrossing methods can be used withthe present invention to improve or introduce one or morecharacteristics into the current soybean variety.

The term backcrossing, as used herein, refers to the repeated crossingof a hybrid progeny back to one of the parental soybean plants for thatvariety. The parental soybean plant which contributes the gene(s) forthe desired characteristic(s) is termed the nonrecurrent or donorparent. This terminology refers to the fact that the nonrecurrent parentis used one time in the backcross protocol and therefore does not recur.The parental soybean plant to which the gene or genes from thenonrecurrent parent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent, asit is used for several rounds in the backcrossing protocol (Poehlman &Sleper, 1994; Fehr, 1987a,b). In a typical backcross protocol, theoriginal variety of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a secondvariety (nonrecurrent parent) that carries the gene(s) of interest to betransferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossedagain to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until asoybean plant is obtained wherein essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parentare recovered in the converted plant, in addition to the transferredgene(s) from the nonrecurrent parent. The process may be carried out asmany times as desired, using either the same or another nonrecurrentparent, to introduce multiple traits into CX295, yet retain all of thedesirable agronomic properties of the starting line.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a particular trait or characteristic in theoriginal cultivar. To accomplish this, one or more traits of therecurrent variety is modified or substituted with the desired gene fromthe nonrecurrent parent. Thereby, while retaining essentially all of thedesired genetic background of the recurrent parent, and therefore thedesired agronomic characteristics, one or more desirable traits from thenonrecurrent parent(s) are added. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross. One ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable, agronomicallyimportant trait to the plant. The exact backcrossing protocol willdepend on the characteristic or trait being altered to determine anappropriate testing protocol. Although backcrossing methods aresimplified when the characteristic being transferred is a dominantallele, a recessive allele may also be transferred. In this instance, itmay be necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if thedesired characteristics has been successfully transferred.

Many single gene traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new cultivar but that can beimproved by backcrossing techniques. Single gene traits may or may notbe transgenic. Examples of these traits are well known to those of skillin the art of soybean breeding and include, for example, genesconferring bacterial, fungal, or viral disease resistance, insectresistance, male fertility or sterility, enhanced nutritional quality,and yield enhancement. These genes are generally inherited through thenucleus.

One type of single gene trait having particular utility is a gene whichconfers herbicide resistance, particularly resistance to the herbicideglyphosate. Glyphosate inhibits the action of the enzyme EPSPS, which isactive in the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic amino acids. Inhibitionof this enzyme leads to starvation for the amino acids phenylalanine,tyrosine, and tryptophan and secondary metabolites derived therefrom.Mutants of this enzyme are available which are resistant to glyphosate.For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,060 describes the isolation of EPSPSmutations which confer glyphosate resistance upon organisms having theSalmonella typhimurium gene for EPSPS, aroA. A mutant EPSPS gene havingsimilar mutations has also been cloned from Zea mays. The mutant geneencodes a protein with amino acid changes at residues 102 and 106. Whenthese or other similar genes are introduced into a plant by genetictransformation, a herbicide resistant phenotype results.

Plants having inherited a transgene comprising a mutated EPSPS gene may,therefore, be directly treated with the herbicide glyphosate without theresult of significant damage to the plant. This phenotype providesfarmers with the benefit of controlling weed growth in a field of plantshaving the herbicide resistance trait by application of the broadspectrum herbicide glyphosate. For example, one could apply theherbicide ROUNDUP™, a commercial formulation of glyphosate manufacturedand sold by the Monsanto Company, over the top in fields where theglyphosate resistant soybeans are grown. The herbicide application ratesmay range from 4 ounces of ROUNDUP™ to 256 ounces ROUNDUP™ per acre.More preferably, about 16 ounces to about 64 ounces per acre of ROUNDUP™may be applied to the field. However, the application rate may beincreased or decreased as needed, based on the abundance and/or type ofweeds being treated. Additionally, depending on the location of thefield and weather conditions, which will influence weed growth and thetype of weed infestation, it may be desirable to conduct furtherglyphosate treatments. The second glyphosate application will alsotypically comprise an application of about 16 ounces to about 64 ouncesof ROUNDUP™ per acre treated. Again, the treatment rate may be adjustedbased on field conditions. Such methods of application of herbicides toagricultural crops are well known in the art and are summarized ingeneral in Anderson, 1983.

It will be understood to those of skill in the art that a herbicideresistance gene, such as a mutant EPSPS glyphosate resistance transgene,may be used for direct selection of plants having the resistance gene.For example, by applying about 16 to 64 ounces of ROUNDUP™ per acre to acollection of soybean plants which either have or lack the herbicideresistance trait, the plants lacking the trait will be killed ordamaged. In this way, the herbicide resistant plants may be selected andused for commercial applications or advanced in certain breedingprotocols. This application may find particular use during the breedingand development of herbicide resistant elite soybean cultivars.

Flower color is an example of a recessive trait. In this example, theprogeny resulting from the first backcross generation (BC₁) are grownand selfed. The selfed progeny from the BC₁ plant are grown to determinewhich BC₁ plants carry the recessive gene for flower color. In otherrecessive traits, additional progeny testing, for example growingadditional generations such as the BC₁ F₂, may be required to determinewhich plants carry the recessive gene.

Selection of soybean plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent onthe phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one may find a suitable genetic marker,such as a restriction fragment length polymorphism, which is closelygenetically linked to a trait of interest. This marker may therefore beused to identify the presence or absence of a trait in the offspring ofa particular cross, and hence may be used in selection of progeny forcontinued breeding. This technique may commonly be referred to as markerassisted selection. Any other type of genetic or other assay which isable to identify the relative presence or absence of a trait of interestin a plant may be also be useful for breeding purposes. Exemplaryprocedures for marker assisted selection and breeding of soybeans aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,697, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,081, bothof which disclosures are specifically incorporated herein by referencein their entirety. Such methods will be of particular utility in thecase of recessive traits and variable phenotypes, or where conventionalassays are expensive, time consuming or otherwise disadvantageous.

I. Definitions

In the description and tables which follow, a number of terms are used.In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms,the following definitions are provided:

A: When used in conjunction with the word "comprising" or other openlanguage in the claims, the words "a" and "an" denote "one or more."

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene, all of whichalleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell ororganism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on apair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more gene conversions from one genetic background into another.

Brown Stem Rot: This is a visual disease score from 1 to 9 comparing allgenotypes in a given test. The score is based on leaf symptoms ofyellowing and necrosis caused by brown stem rot. A score of 1 indicatesno symptoms. Visual scores range to a score of 9 which indicates severesymptoms of leaf yellowing and necrosis.

Chromatography: A technique wherein a mixture of dissolved substancesare bound to a solid support followed by passing a column of fluidacross the solid support and varying the composition of the fluid. Thecomponents of the mixture are separated by selective elution.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear factor conferring malesterility.

Emergence: This is a score indicating the ability of a seed to emergefrom the soil after planting. Each genotype is given a 1 to 9 scorebased on its percent of emergence. A score of 1 indicates an excellentrate and percent of emergence, an intermediate score of 5 indicatesaverage ratings and a 9 score indicates a very poor rate and percent ofemergence.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Gene Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed by a plantbreeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of thedesired morphological and physiological characteristics of a cultivarare recovered in addition to the gene(s) transferred into the cultivarvia the backcrossing technique.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Iron-Deficiency Chlorosis: A plant scoring system ranging from 1 to 9based on visual observations. A score of 1 means no stunting of theplants or yellowing of the leaves and a score of 9 indicates the plantsare dead or dying caused by iron-deficiency chlorosis, a score of 5means plants have intermediate health with some leaf yellowing.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Lodging Resistance: Lodging is rated on a scale of 1 to 9. A score of 1indicates erect plants. A score of 5 indicates plants are leaning at a45 degree(s) angle in relation to the ground and a score of 9 indicatesplants are laying on the ground.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Maturity Date: Plants are considered mature when 95% of the pods havereached their mature color. The maturity date is typically described inmeasured days from January first, which may be referred to as "JulianDays."

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Phytophthora Tolerance: Tolerance to Phytophthora root rot is rated on ascale of 1 to 9, with a score of 1 being the best or highest toleranceranging down to a score of 9, which indicates the plants have notolerance to Phytophthora.

Plant Height: Plant height is taken from the top of soil to the top nodeof the plant and is measured in inches.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Seed Yield (Bushels/Acre): The yield in bushels/acre is the actual yieldof the grain at harvest.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Shattering: The amount of pod dehiscence prior to harvest. Poddehiscence involves seeds falling from the pods to the soil. This is avisual score from 1 to 9 comparing all genotypes within a given test. Ascore of 1 means pods have not opened and no seeds have fallen out. Ascore of 5 indicates approximately 50% of the pods have opened, withseeds falling to the ground and a score of 9 indicates 100% of the podsare opened.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant. Exemplary procedures for preparing tissue cultures of regenerablesoybean cells, and regenerating soybean plants therefrom, are disclosedin, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,375; U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,580; U.S.Pat. No. 5,024,944, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,011, each of whichdisclosure is specifically incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Transgene: A genetic sequence which has been introduced into the genomeof a soybean plant by transformation.

II. Variety Description Information

Soybean cultivar CX295 has superior characteristics and is an F₃ plantselection from the cross of CX250B×L660. The origin and breeding historyof CX295 were as follows:

    ______________________________________    Winter 1992-93              The cross of CX250B × L660 was made.    Spring 1993              F.sub.1 generation was grown.    Summer 1993              F.sub.2 generation was grown (single seed descent).    Fall 1993 F.sub.3 generation was grown (single seed descent).    Winter 1993-94              F.sub.4 generation was grown (individual plants).    Summer 1994              F.sub.5 generation was grown (Test 94150012, plot 10301              was selected).    Summer 1995              F.sub.6 generation was grown.    Summer 1996              F.sub.7 generation was grown.    Winter 1996-97              F.sub.8 generation was grown.    Summer 1997              F.sub.9 generation was grown.    Spring 1998              F.sub.10 generation was released as CX295.    ______________________________________

The inventor believes that CX295 is most similar to soybean varietyCX298 (PVP No. 8800188): however, CX295 differs from this cultivar in atleast the following traits: CX295 has white flowers, brown hila and issusceptible to Race 3 Phytophthora Root Rot, whereas, CX298 has purpleflowers, black hila, and is resistant to Race 3 Phytophthora Root Rot.

The results of an objective description of the variety, based on datacollected at Bloomington, Ill. were as follows:

    ______________________________________    SEED SHAPE:              Spherical    SEED COAT COLOR (Mature Seed):                             Yellow    SEED COAT LUSTER (Mature Hand Shelled                             Dull    Seed):    SEED SIZE (Mature Seed): 18.2 g/100 seed    HILUM COLOR: (Mature Seed)                             Brown    COTYLEDON COLOR (Mature Seed):                             Yellow    SEED PROTEIN PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY:                             High    SEED PROTEIN ELECTROPHORECTIC                             --    BAND:    HYPOCOTYL COLOR:         Green    LEAFLET SHAPE:           Ovate    LEAFLET SIZE:            Medium    LEAF COLOR:              Medium Green    FLOWER COLOR:            White    POD COLOR:               Tan    PLANT PUBESCENCE COLOR:  Tawny    PLANT TYPE:              Medium    PLANT HABIT:             Indeterminate    MATURITY GROUP:          II    DISEASE REACTION:    (0 = NOT TESTED; 1 = SUSCEPTIBLE; 2 = RESISTANT)    BACTERIAL DISEASES    FUNGAL DISEASES    Bacterial Pustule:                    0     Brown Spot:   0    Bacterial Blight:                    0     Frogeye Leaf Spot:                                        0    Wildfire:       0     Target Spot:  0                          Downy Mildew: 0    VIRAL DISEASES        Powdery Mildew:                                        0    Bud Blight:     0     Brown Stem Rot:                                        Resistant*    Yellow Mosaic:  0     Stem Canker:  0    Cowpea Mosaic:  0     Pod and Stem Blight:                                        0    Pod Mottle:     0     Purple Seed Stain:                                        0    Seed Mottle:    0     Rhizoctonia Root Rot:                                        0                          Sclerotinia White                                        **                          Mold:                          Sudden Death  ***                          Syndrome:    NEMATODE DISEASES     Phytophthora Rot:    Soybean Cyst Nematode:                    1     Race(s):                                  Race 1: 0    Lance Nematode: 0             Race 2: 0    Southern Root Knot Nematode:                    0             Race 3: 1    Northern Root Knot Nematode:                    0             Race 4: 0    Peanut Root Knot Nematode:                    0             Race 5-9:                                          0    Reniform Nematode:                    0    *DEKALB's score for brown stem rot is 2    (Rating scale 1-9: 1 = most resistant)    **Sclerotinia white mold was not adequately tested    ***Sudden death syndrome was not adequately tested    PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES:    (0 = NOT TESTED; 1 = SUSCEPTIBLE; 2 = RESISTANT)    Iron Chlorosis on Calcareous Soil:                         Intermediate    Other:               0     DEKALB's score for iron chlorosis is 5    (Rating scale 1-9: 1 = most resistant)    INSECT REACTION:    (0 =NOT TESTED; 1 = SUSCEPTIBLE; 2 = RESISTANT)    Mexican Bean Beetle: 0    Potato Leaf Hopper:  0    Other:               0    ______________________________________

Soybean variety CX295 has been judged to be uniform for breedingpurposes and testing after five generations of selfing. CX295 wasreproduced and judged uniform and stable for an additional fivegenerations. Variety CX295 shows no variants other than what wouldnormally be expected due to environment or that would occur for almostany characteristic during the course of repeated sexual reproduction.Some of the criteria used to select in various generations include: seedyield, lodging resistance, emergence, seedling vigor, disease tolerance,maturity, plant height and shattering resistance.

III. Variety Comparison

Direct comparisons were made between CX295 and competing commercialvarieties. Traits measured were yield, maturity, moisture, lodging,plant height, field emergence, and seedling vigor. The results of thevariety comparison are presented below. The comparison indicates thenumber of tests in which the varieties were compared, the deviation ordifference of the results, the test means, and the traits which showed asignificant difference and the significance level.

    __________________________________________________________________________    VARIETIES  SEL YLD MAT MST LDG PLTHT                                       FDEMR                                            VIG    COMPARED           TYPE               % M BU/A                       DAYS                           %   RAT IN  RAT  RAT    __________________________________________________________________________    CX295  R 72               103.7                   54.0                       270.2                           10.8                               2.4 30.6                                       2.9  2.6    CX289      100.2                   49.5                       268.9                           10.7                               2.8 33.9                                       2.7  2.5    Deviation  3.4 4.5 1.3 0.1 -0.4                                   -3.3                                       0.2  0.1    Test Mean  100.0                   50.1                       270.5                           10.9                               2.7 32.4                                       2.9  2.9    Sig        **  **  *       +   **    CX295  R 36               103.3                   52.4                       268.1                           10.7                               2.5 30.0                                       3.0  2.7    CX313      99.3                   49.4                       272.1                           11.0                               3.0 34.4                                       2.9  2.9    Deviation  4.0 3.0 -4.0                           -0.4                               -0.5                                   -4.4                                       0.1  -0.3    Test Mean  100.0                   50.1                       271.6                           10.8                               2.8 32.3                                       2.9  3.0    Sig        **  **  **  +   *   **    __________________________________________________________________________     Significance levels are indicated as: + = 10%, * = 5%, ** = 1%

TYPE=Research-No. of tests SEL %M=Selection Index (percentage of testmean) YLD BU/A=Yield (bushels/acre) MAT DAYS=Maturity (days) MST%=Moisture (percentage) LDG RAT=Lodging Rating (scale: 1-9, 1-best)PLTHT IN=Plant Height (inches) FDEMR RAT=Field Emergence Rating (scale:1-9, 1=best) VIG RAT=Seedling Vigor Rating (scale: 1-9, 1=best)

IV. Deposit Information

A deposit of the DEKALB Genetics propriety soybean cultivar CX295,disclosed above and recited in the appended claims, has been made withthe American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 10801 University Blvd.,Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of deposit was Nov. 4, 1998. Allrestrictions upon the deposit have been removed, and the deposit isintended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. Theaccession number for those deposited seeds of soybean cultivar CX295 isATCC Accession No. 203416. The deposit will be maintained in thedepository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request,or for the effective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and willbe replaced if necessary during that period.

References

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,375

U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,580

U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,944

U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,011

U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,697

U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,081

Allard, R. W., University of California, Davis, California. "Principlesof Plant Breeding," Published by John Wiley & Sons, New York, Universityof California, Davis, Calif., p. 50-98, 1960.

Anderson, W. P., Weed Science Principles, West Publishing Company, 1983.

Bowers, G. R., Paschall, E. H., Bernard, R. L.; and Goodman, R. M.,"Inheritance of Resistance to Soybean Mosaic Virus in `Buffalo` and HLSSoybean" Crop science. v. 32 (1) p. 67-72, 1992.

Fehr, "In: Soybeans: Improvement, Production and Uses," 2nd Edition,Manograph 16, p.259, 1987a.

Fehr, W. R., "Principles of Cultivar Development," vol. 1 Theory andTechnique and vol. 2 Crop Species, Soybean, Iowa State University,Published by Macmillian Publishing Company, New York, p. 360-376, 1987b.

Nickell, C. D., and Bernard, R. L., "Registration of L84-5873 andL84-5932 Soybean Germplasm Lines Resistant to Brown Stem Rot," CropScience. v. 32 (3) p. 835, 1992.

Poehlman, J., and Sleper, D. "Breeding Field Crops" Published by theIowa State University Press, Ames, 1994.

Simmonds, N., "Principles of crop improvement" Published by, Longman,Inc., New York, p. 369-399, 1979.

Sneep, J., and Hendriksen, A., "Plant Breeding Perspectives,"Wageningen: Center for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation, 1979.

What is claimed is:
 1. Soybean seed designated CX295, wherein a sampleof said seed has been deposited under ATCC Accession No.
 203416. 2. Aplant produced by growing the seed of claim
 1. 3. Pollen of the plant ofclaim
 2. 4. An ovule of the plant of claim
 2. 5. A cell of the soybeanplant of claim
 2. 6. A soybean plant having all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the plant of claim
 2. 7. A tissueculture of regenerable cells of the soybean cultivar CX295 , wherein asample of the seed of said soybean cultivar CX295 has been depositedunder ATCC Accession No.
 203416. 8. A soybean plant regenerated from thetissue culture of claim 7, wherein the regenerated soybean plant iscapable of expressing all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of a plant grown from a soybean seed designated CX295,and wherein a sample of said seed has been deposited under ATCCAccession No.
 203416. 9. A soybean plant comprising a single geneconversion of the soybean cultivar CX295, wherein said soybean plant isotherwise capable of expressing all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of the soybean cultivar CX295, and wherein a sample ofthe seed of said soybean cultivar CX295 has been deposited under ATCCAccession No.
 203416. 10. The soybean plant of claim 9, wherein saidsingle gene was stably inserted into a soybean genome by transformation.11. The soybean plant of claim 9, wherein said gene conversion comprisesa dominant allele.
 12. The soybean plant of claim 9, wherein said geneconversion comprises a recessive allele.
 13. The soybean plant of claim9, whercin said gene conversion confers herbicide resistance.
 14. Thesoybean plant of claim 9, wherein said gene conversion confers insectresistance.
 15. The soybean plant of claim 9, wherein said geneconversion confers resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease.16. The soybean plant of claim 9, wherein said gene conversion confersmale sterility.
 17. A first generation (F₁) hybrid soybean seed producedby crossing a plant of the soybean cultivar CX295 to a second soybeanplant, wherein a sample of the seed of said soybean cultivar CX295 hasbeen deposited under ATCC Accession No.
 203416. 18. A first generation(F₁) hybrid soybean plant produced by growing the seed of claim
 17. 19.Seed of the first generation F₁ hybrid soybean plant of claim
 18. 20. Amethod of producing soybean seed comprising:a) planting seed of thesoybean cultivar CX295, wherein a sample of said seed has been depositedunder ATCC Accession No. 203416; b) growing soybean plants from saidseed until said plants bear flowers; c) allowing said flowers to bepollinated; and, d) harvesting seed produced from said plants.
 21. Amethod of producing hybrid soybean seed comprising the steps of:a)planting seed of soybean cultivar CX295 and a second distinct soybeancultivar, wherein a sample of the seed of said soybean cultivar CX295has been deposited under ATCC Accession No.
 203416. b) growing soybeanplants from said seed until said plants bear flowers; c) emasculating aflower of either soybean cultivar; d) cross pollinating said flower; ande) harvesting seed resulting from said cross pollinating.